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Finishing Pine

I am building a blanket chest from pine as a learning/test piece. I will use hide glue sizing to prevent blotching. I would like an amber or honey color and plan on using Transtint dye.
Does anyone have a finishing schedule they would like to share?

Dewaxed Garnet shellac can produce a nice old pine color with no dye needed. It is difficult to suggest color from words. Pine can be southern yellow or creamy white. Dyes can still produce a blotchy finish even with a prestain conditioner or a wash coat. Hide glue sizing is not a flool proof way to prevent blotch.

Your best approach is to use reasonably large 12"x12" scrap wood from the project and test yopur finishing schedule completely. Including final sanding of wood etc. Keep accurate notes as to sanding (grits) Wash coat (how much glue to water) dye strength (I count drops) of TT dye to 1 oz or 2 oz of water or denatured alcohol depending on which I'm using.

TIP: put a hole in TransTint dye top with small pin or sharp awl; I use a dental pick. This will allow you to count drops; cutting the tip will produce a hole that is too big to allow controlling the drops.

Remember no varnish finish inside chest.

Scott

Finishing is an 'Art & a Science'. Actually, it is a process. You must understand the properties and tendencies of the finish you are using. You must know the proper steps and techniques, then you must execute them properly.

Thanks for the help Scott. Do you know of any "fool proof" blotch control method aside from surface prep, etc.? I will use Borg pine, as this is mainly a learning excersize for me in construction, so it will be white pine. I want to have a lot of errors out of the road before using expensive hard wood.
By surface prep I mean planing, sanding and so on.

Surface prep is not the cause of blotch. Wood cell structure is the leading cause. Pine is OK to practice your woodworking; softwoods are less $$, easier to cut and less stable. For the same $$ (almost) you can use poplar from the borg. It too is prone blotching.

Dye goes a long way to lessen the blotching but it the cell structure that causes it. Pigment stains are really bad about blotching certian woods... diffuse poruse cell structure... here's a list of the most popular woods that are prone to blotching: Pine, poplar, birch, maple, alder, and cherry (If you buy cherry let it darken naturally no stain or dye needed. (if you stain cherry you are making a big mistake in my book).

Scott

Finishing is an 'Art & a Science'. Actually, it is a process. You must understand the properties and tendencies of the finish you are using. You must know the proper steps and techniques, then you must execute them properly.